Outsiders
by Cynystyr
Summary: With Sasuke and Naruto gone, the remaining Konoha ninja aim to prove themselves at the next round of Chunin exams. Suna has been elected to host in an attempt to solidify diplomatic relationships. Dangerous trials in a foreign land loom ahead as the band of ninja from the Leaf try to learn to trust those from different homes again
1. Chapter 1- Sunrise

Preface

Howdy Folks

My name is Cynystyr, and this is my first real attempt at writing. Just a few warnings about the upcoming piece you are (maybe) about to read- while I enjoy Naruto and its world/lore, there is a lot that I don't know, and didn't really want to take the time to find out. I think in general I know a fair amount, so I feel comfortable with using this universe as the basis for my first ever story, mostly because I can use an already established world to practice my writing as well as eventually introduce and flesh out a few characters of my own. I know full well there may be many errors with my writing in terms of lining up with what is canon in Naruto, but I hope you all can look past that and instead let me know how my storytelling and character development skills look. My goal with this piece is not to create a perfect Naruto fanfic, but instead to practice writing and see if it is something worth developing in the future.

This is probably going to be third person somewhat through Sakura's perspective for a good chunk of time, but eventually I will be introducing characters of my own, then I want to focus on them somewhat to test my character development skills. But I'll still be keeping the characters we all know and love in the mix plenty, so don't worry.

In terms of a "disclaimer" or whatever, I don't own Naruto- original ideas all belong to Masashi Kishimoto, I believe. But maybe this whole ordeal could fall under parody law or something to give me some leeway. We can just all pretend that it's a horribly done parody that doesn't succeed at being all too funny.

In terms of a rating, I would assume this is going to be T, since I don't plan on including anything too censor-worthy. I plan of having a few characters that use some colorful language, and there could potentially be violence, but I won't be including anything smutty. As far as I can think, there's no reason that the violence that I include will be worth bumping the T up to an M, and I don't think language does that either. But, this is my first time creating content on this website, so I don't know the rules all too well. We'll all learn as we go.

Anyway, I thought I'd just add this large foreword so as to let you folks know this piece is mostly about me practicing and hopefully finding something I am good at, or at least enjoy. For those of you that would like to provide feedback, please do so. Again, I'm not really looking for feedback that points out facts that I got wrong, necessarily. We can just pretend this is a slightly alternate universe with minor differences if there is anything too noticeably inaccurate. For the most part, I would appreciate feedback having to do with my writing skill and writing style. I see a lot of people say "no flames please" or whatever, but if you've got something that really rubs you the wrong way, go ahead and let me know. If I don't find out what I do that's bad, I'll never improve. At the same time, if there's something I do that you think is excellent, please let me know as well. It's important to work on both strengths and weaknesses for every hobby. That's about all for me. Thanks for reading this intro, and please enjoy the story.

Thanks for your time

Cynystyr

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Chapter 1- Sunrise

Sakura opened her eyes to a blurry ceiling, despite being awake for the past half hour. She had spent the morning lying in bed, refusing to acknowledge the fact the day had gotten started, and instead chose to remain stagnant for as long as she could bear without feeling some semblance of guilt. She may have felt somewhat defeated by the realization of what today was, but she wouldn't let the world know that it had bested her this time.

She sat up and swiveled, begrudgingly sliding her feet into her sandals that she always had placed next to her bed, their familiarity not quite comfortable enough to dull the feeling of monotony. Routine had taken precedent over the past several months, dominating her life and way of thought. Everything around her continued to spiral in a new direction and change so quickly, but she couldn't stop feeling like stagnation had reared its ugly head and taken over her life.

It had been a full twelve months since the Chunin exams had transpired, with the village still recovering from the transgressions made by Orochimaru. The attempts to incubate and repair the damages had been slow but successful, allowing much of civilian life to return to normal. However, Sakura was still struggling to adapt to the losses, with both of her former teammates missing, whether for a noble cause or a more ambiguous reason. While she did have Lady Tsunade to help educate her and guide her along the path of becoming a proper medic, she felt an emptiness that she didn't think could truly be filled. The camaraderie she felt with Sasuke and Naruto was abrasive at times, but helped solidify her place in the social balance of the village's young adepts. She was the anchor of reason for many, while also being able to provide an emotional fount for others to draw upon. Her dynamic interaction with those two young ninja had been ripped from her, leaving her to question herself.

Well, now that she had gotten all of her self-pity out of the way, she deemed it as good a time as any to gather herself up and rise to the occasion of getting out of bed and living. The familiarity of her sandals finally sank in, allowing some inkling of control on herself as she began to shrug off the existential dread.

She had properly packed and prettied herself up the previous night in order to make the new morning as efficient as possible. She hoped that she would have as much time as she would like to enjoy the lovely weather on the moment of her impending departure, but unfortunately fate would not allow her even that much. The day was almost uninteresting enough to merit interest, but it was unfortunately so average that none could even notice how remarkably bland it was. The overcast clouds adequately reflected her mood, stifling any brightness with their grey indifference. Sakura took a brief moment to take in the weather in slight disappointment before noticing the climate's melancholy that so appropriately matched her mood.

Outside Lady Tsunade's instruction in the arts of medicinal treatment (along with the assistance of Shizune), this was Sakura's first official mandated mission since the attack on the village. She was finally getting to go back in to the heat of things, yet she felt hollow. She had plenty of time on the walk towards the village gates to think of why she was underwhelmed, so she came up with a small list. Perhaps she was disappointed with the fact that her first return to real action was simply going to be attending a re-run: another round of Chunin exams was occurring, as they do every six months, only with the added benefit of having to spend an uncomfortable amount of hours running to the impending judgement instead of having the convenience of hosting the trials in her own village. Perhaps she did not view the trials as proper challenge after her rather substantial growth under the guidance of her mentor, her assistant, and a rather personable hog. Or, perhaps she was simply downtrodden based on the fact that this was her first mission outside the city after losing the two people she was (begrudgingly) closest to in their entire educational system. No matter the reason for her suboptimal disposition, she didn't have the opportunity to dwell on it for too long as the gates, and some of her friends, came in to view with the sun finally peeking out behind them.

The usual greetings commenced, with the withdrawn nods of acknowledgement coming from the likes of Neji and Shino complemented by the relatively normal greetings from those like Ino and Tenten, not to be outdone by the outlandishly boisterous exclamations of excitement from Guy and Lee. There was also the usual round of light sniffing performed by Kiba and Akamaru, but at this point Sakura had grown used to it and hardly noticed it.

All her original classmates were there, save Naruto and Sasuke. Even Shikamaru was tagging along, despite graduating. Tsunade had instructed him to join as the most recent student to pass the exam, thinking he could provide insight and advice for his peers as they returned to the trials. Of course, he had no choice but to accept the direct orders, but he added in a few grumbles to show his disapproval. Since he was the only member of their social circle to pass the exam, Sasuke had defected, and Naruto had run off to train with Jiraiya, the numbers aligned to allow Sakura to be shoehorned in to what was team Asuma, now consisting of her, her rival, and Chouji. She was unsure if she was growing more mature, if Ino was more manageable, or if she was just too drained to make an ordeal out of the scenario, but upon receiving information that Sakura would be placed on a team with her best friend/worst enemy, she made no fuss and simply acknowledged the statement.

Kakashi elected not to tag along with them, seeing as his team effectively no longer existed. Sakura would be under the tutelage of Asuma if she had any questions, though Kakashi felt she would be more than ready for most challenges after spending so much time with the Hokage. He also felt like his talents could be used back home, in case anything else went awry.

After the attack on the Village Hidden in the Leaves, many rogue factions of disenfranchised ninja had been growing bolder, seeing the successful destruction incurred by the assault of the previous exams. While they obviously did not pose nearly as potent of a threat as Orochimaru and his accomplices, their actions were nevertheless posing problems, usually for smaller, more vulnerable towns. Kakashi being held back could serve as a powerful threat and an even more powerful tool to be used should any need for action arise, whether it be in the Leaf or a smaller settlement calling upon the Hokage for help.

And so the Konoha 11, save Naruto, ventured southwest, towards a somewhat surprising location. The Village Hidden in the Sand had offered to host the newest round of Chunin exams as a show of good will, looking to ease the tensions between primarily themselves and the Leaf. Political shrewdness can occasionally lead to rather amicable ideas, and the largest villages all agreed that the proposal was a genuine display of reconciliation. This sentiment was not entirely adopted by the youth from Konoha, nor their instructors. But they all hoped for the best, knowing that if Suna followed through and graciously hosted a fair examination process, the bonds held across the land, mostly between Leaf and Sand would be repaired, strengthened, and solidified.

With this hope in their hearts, the teams all set out together, thankful for each other's' company on the long journey, and the clouds parted further, sending a warm light down upon them.


	2. Chapter 2- Footsteps

I don't own Naruto- original ideas all belong to Masashi Kishimoto

Chapter 2- Footsteps

The group's optimism gradually waned as their travels continued. The pleasant sun slowly turned from being a beacon of hope and positivity to a scorching punishment as the troupe ventured further away from the wooded lands, gradually finding the sea of sand sprawling before them. The air felt dry and stale, far from the sweet savory scents of the forest they were all so used to back home. Unsurprisingly, the arid land gave them little to work with in terms of sustenance, meaning they had to resort to their rather uninteresting rations in their travel packs, metering out portions to ensure it would last, even with unexpected delays.

The sky was as barren as the soil, with few clouds to spare the band of ninja from the wrath of the sun. Relentless heat beat down on them, refusing to relinquish them from its gaze any time soon. The winds were at least merciful, relieving the group with its steady, if somewhat dry breeze.

The weather made for relatively uncomfortable travel, but the group found solace in the fact it was easy and quick. Guy announced that the group was making excellent time, despite his requests for a race being denied several times by all other than his protégé.

Peaceful nights awaited them both evenings as they circled up, laying out under the stars, hearing the occasional whirring of insects, the most invasive of which Shino was kind enough to dissuade.

Not much talking went on between any of the travelers after the first few hours as they began to get tired from the constant running, instead choosing to fall in to a comfortable silence each day until camp was set, where meals and small conversations were shared in a circle around a small fire.

During a rest on their final day of their journey when the sun was high and particularly brutal, a hawk swooped down and perched itself on Asuma's outstretched arm after he spotted it. He unfurled a note from its leg and handed it to Kurenai before setting up a tray of water for the new avian accomplice. She read it out loud to the group, explaining that Suna had requested the Konoha ninja arrive at the southern gate so as to avoid the traffic that merchants would cause from their trips to the other regions.

Everyone was invigorated by the letter, not for the content itself, but due to the fact that they knew if a messenger bird had been sent to search for them, they must not be too incredibly far away. Guy issued one more challenge to his companions, claiming that this was the final chance to show their youthful energy before they would need to conserve themselves for glorious competition. Asuma ensured him that he and Lee could take off and the rest of the group would be fine without them, so after a proper, fair start and two clouds of dust, the green duo were but specks on the horizon.

As the sand village slowly came in to view over the horizon, Sakura couldn't help but think of how much her blonde friend would have enjoyed coming here. He had almost single-handedly beaten the anger out of Gaara, turning him from a bloodthirsty demon to a reserved, formidable friend. She knew he would love to come to this place and see him again, even though the other ninja traveling with her were all nervous to see the red haired child. She gave a scan around the group, looking for Lee before remembering he had taken off in a sprint. Perhaps he had forgiven Gaara for the severe damage done to him in the arena, which Sakura could understand. But she was surprised at how willingly Lee ran towards the residence of the sand ninja, considering what he almost did in the hospital after their match.

She knew that Gaara had changed, but there was a part of her that would always be wary of him, mindful of him and his actions. There was a sense of guilt that ebbed in to her conscience as she thought on this subject, but her memories of what Gaara was capable of being denied her the ability to entirely trust him. At least at this point in time. She hoped that Gaara truly was different, but more importantly she hoped that she could learn to believe it.

Her train of thought was thankfully broken as they neared the outer walls, turning left to head towards the south gate, although she noticed the request seemed to be somewhat unwarranted, as only one moderately sized caravan of trade wagons was departing the city, already a modest distance away on the horizon. Luckily the walls were high enough that as they circled around to the southernmost gate, they received a brief reprieve from the suns glaring rays, hugging close to the wall for some much-appreciated shade.

The group assumed they had found the correct gate upon seeing Lee and Guy vigorously participating in a pushup contest just outside the perimeter. While the two finished up their competition, the group took their time fishing out the necessary paperwork from their packs as well as rinsing off and shining up their Konoha headbands to look as presentable as possible, despite the light coating of dust that gave everyone a rather earthy look. Once everyone felt they looked respectable enough to properly represent their proud home, they gathered up Lee and Guy and approached the gate attendee.

A stocky man with thin rimmed glasses and short gray hair watched them approach, flipping a page on his clipboard then scanning along it with his finger. His frame was covered by a sprawling tan cloth, looking rather fitting for the desert climate. He dug inside his shawl, freeing a pen from its wooly prison as the group arrived at his station.

"Hello there. You must be the Konoha participants for the upcoming Chunin exams, yes?"

Asuma stepped forward to take the lead for the group on the conversation. "Yea, that about sums it up. I'm assuming you're gonna need to see our identifications?"

"That would most definitely make my job significantly easier" the portly man replied with a small smile, earning a chuckle from Asuma.

"Alright, kids, line up and give this nice fella your papers." The students complied, eager to complete the final stage of their travels and find at least some sanctuary in the city from the elements. Thankfully, the gate attendant was efficient, and even personable, asking each participating member about their fighting styles, asking just enough to make small talk, but not so much to be prying in to details that he need not delve in to.

Once he finished the bureaucratic steps needed for all the people in the group, he gave Akamaru a quick inspection as well. Finding the nearly full grown dog to be healthy and safe for the city, he gave Kiba a small verification card, and gave Akamaru a fake bacon treat, which disappeared as quickly as it arrived down the hound's maw. With all aspects of his inspection completed and all safety components satisfactory for all creatures in the party, whether they be on four legs or two, he bid them a good day and returned to his post.

The youth clumped together with their teachers close in tow and began to plan out their day. They had a few days before any of the trials began, giving themselves plenty of time to recuperate from their journey. They quickly realized none of them knew anything about the city, prompting Kiba to bluntly ask "Hey, teach! You know anything about this place?"

Kurenai turned her attention to the students, with a smile doing a poor job of hiding itself. "Well, sure I do. But weren't you all supposed to research this place some on your own before? The three of us are here to mentor you and help you do your best during the exams, not be your tour guides before they start"

Kiba let out an exasperated sigh as Shikamaru muttered something about extra work. Choji decided to speak, asking "So do you want us to figure out what to do without you guys or something?"

A male voice behind them said "You won't have to" as the students all turned to look, their teachers already facing the newcomer. They came to face Kankuro, dressed in his usual garb but without his war paint on. Luckily his face was still easily recognizable, thanks in no small part to his cocky grin he so often wore. This time, however, there was a bit more to his smile, showing he was genuinely pleased to see the teens from the Leaf.

Kiba was the first to react with a loud "Dude! Good to see you man!" while walking over for a strong hug. Nobody was surprised, considering their time spent fighting the splitting menace from the Sound Four. Kiba had always held much respect for the puppeteer from that point on, seeing him in action as both an impressive fighter and a helpful ally.

Once the rest of the students gave their pleasantries, Kankuro greeted their instructors as well. He turned to the group and said "So I'm kinda here to show you what this town has to offer. I'd say first stop is probably to find your lodging so you guys can get prettied up, because even by our standards, man are you guys dirty", smirking as he finished his sentence. The group unanimously agreed that it would be a smart call, and they could all do with a bath.

Their accommodations were quite fair, despite their outward appearance, although that should be no surprise. Most buildings in the village had the same external appearance, tall adobe mud and sand towers sprouting across the cityscape. The material was reliable and kept the insides cool, so there was no real incentive for the city to develop any different techniques for constructing desert-friendly buildings. Once inside, however, most residences and shops were able to display more creativity. The rooms of their lodging were clean and simple, only having a single bed, a desk, and a restroom. A rich leathery smell filled most bedrooms, despite not much leather being present in the furniture, most of which was a dark, polished wood, lacquered and shined up to be smooth and beautiful. Oddly enough, none of the rooms had a shower or a tub. Kankuro explained that water is unsurprisingly a valuable commodity in the arid environment, and as such the citizens of Suna would often forgo building individual showers in favor of more conservational approaches.

The teens followed the signs down the hallway and through the lobby to find a staircase that descended deep in to the rock, eventually culminating at a small grotto divided in to two sections for men and women. The novelty of an underground cave system more than made up for the fact that there would be shared showers and people would have to wait turns. A sign near the water said it was constantly filtered through the limestone, often expedited by maintenance workers, but it was kept clean and cool, out of the reach of the blazing heat.

Clean and rejuvenated, a clump of Leaf ninja once more gathered in the lobby. Kankuro waited patiently for the gaggle of teens to freshen up, then played the role of tour guide beautifully, asking what all the students from the leaf wanted to see. Most of the youth were relatively uninformed of the area, so they asked to see "the sights", and with a small sigh, cursing their vagueness, Kankuro decided to lead them on.

He led them through the various districts of the city, starting with residential areas and winding his way through various wedges of the town, showing them historical monuments and statues of cultural and military heroes. They passed the botanical garden, with its glass panes in place to retain moisture. Eventually their trip culminated at the market, where he explained that merchants in Suna had a much different business model than Konoha: everything is for sale, and anything can be negotiated. The art of haggling was passed down among all that sprouted from the desert, and he thought it be a fair warning to his friends of the forest that they not take prices at face value.

Kankuro told them that the market district would be undergoing a transformation that night, converting the area to make way for a festival to welcome exam participants as well as showcase Suna's culture and cuisine. As soon as the afternoon shopping rush withered down, most stalls would be making way for a small stage as well as a plethora of tables.

With that, he departed, bidding farewell to his friends, telling them to ask any sand shinobi for help should they have any questions or require any assistance. The night was still young thanks to the brisk pace they had taken on their journey, and the bright young souls felt like splurging before the stores were packed away. They allowed themselves to indulge in all the market had to offer, with Ino, Sakura and a few others browsing clothing and accessories while Choji and Kiba gathered a band of brothers to explore the various food vendors. Shikamaru had elected to abandon the group and return to the gardens, finding a refreshing leafy area to lie in. While he didn't have many clouds to gaze upon, he at least was able to find some relaxing solace in the drops of water that condensated on the greenhouse and lazily slid their way down the glass.

Once the boys' stomachs were full and the girls' coin pouches were empty, the teens convened back at their living quarters, with Shikamaru dropping in far later than the others in his usual languid fashion. Sakura went to her room, fortunate enough to not have to share space with anyone else. She had around two hours or so before she planned on attending the festival. She decided to take some time to unwind, opening a window and lighting a small scented candle she purchased earlier in the day. She forgot what flower it was specifically, but she remembered the shopkeeper saying it was one that bloomed on a local type of cactus. In the end, she was satisfied with her purchase and was able to sink in to her bed and stare at the ceiling.

Despite the impending evening and the upcoming week's exams, she was having trouble getting excited. Ever since her former teammates left she had been succumbing to a dull lack of emotion. There was no clear reason why she should be feeling this way. She had had friends and a sense of enjoyment long before spending time with the blond nincompoop and his surly rival. She felt like when she met those two and formed a bond with them, perhaps reverting back to life without them left a hole. It was a sad twist of fate where she was only feeling hollow due to the joy she felt before.

In an attempt to distract herself after lounging about for ten or so minutes, she decided to sift through some of her other new purchases from the day. A new outfit for the night might liven her up a bit. She donned her new purchase, a classy black kimono featuring pink trimmings and one white flower in the middle of her back. It paired nicely with the comfortable yet fashionable black sandals she had, and after haggling the price down, she was able to still afford a new headband, a milky white band with a swirling pattern of silver thread winding its way around a few small inlaid gems, though she doubted the stones were quite as genuine as the vendor had insisted. Regardless, she still loved how it looked and it was modestly priced.

After one quick glance in the mirror, she was enticed to take a few more. It wasn't often that she got to feel beautiful, and that certainly alleviated her dull disposition. Her new look gave her some lift and energy, and she decided to go down the hall to the Ino's room, finding Hinata and Tenten already there. As soon as she sat down on the bed, Ino came out of the bathroom with a robe on, starting up a vapid but entertaining conversation of her purchases. Sakura was content to just sit and listen for the most part, occasionally commenting but preferring to just observe this time around. Even Hinata was surprisingly vocal, excited about being in a new village with her friends. She was viewing it as a sort of vacation, despite the trials that the group would be undergoing soon.

The ladies continued their chatting for the better half of an hour before heading down towards the lobby, where the men had agreed to meet them. Unsurprisingly, the gentlemen of the group had put little to no effort in their appearances, with most wearing the same clothing they had at the market. The only noticeable difference in appearance was Neji, wearing the traditional Hyuga robes, making him match with his cousin.

They strolled down to what was just the market a few hours ago. As promised, stalls had been pushed aside to make way for tables, most of which were still vacant, as the Leaf students had arrived early. They pulled two tables together to make enough space for the ten teens and their mentors. The group relaxed and listened to the first small band warm up, a simple quartet with a mariachi style to it.

Kiba corralled Choji and Shikamaru to get up and walk around, with a reasonable amount of haranguing needed to get the shadow ninja to get out of his chair. Just as they stood, Shino pointed out that it may be a good idea to watch and be mindful of other villages' students, advising his comrades spot them during the festival and try to gather as much information as they could. The mentors all gave smiles of approval alongside Neji's nod, and the flock of fighters sat in relative silence, heads on a swivel to spot and analyze any potential opponents that might amble in to the town square.

The group watched and waited, bearing witness to the 80-odd competitors from around the land that wandered in. To their disappointment, but not to their surprise, the others were shrewd and careful with their actions, not revealing much of their abilities. Suna itself was oddly enough the only of the five major villages to not have large representation at their own trials, although the sand siblings and Baki still were in attendance. Many leaf eyes trailed on Gaara, still fearing what he was capable of, despite the actions the sand siblings took to assist in fending off the Sound Four. Kankuro took notice of the gaggle from the Leaf, directing his siblings' attentions to them as well. They walked over claimed a table next to them before draping some belongings on their chairs to make sure nobody would overrule their territory, then strolled over. Baki went over to Asuma, Guy and Kurenai, giving quiet greetings and talking in hushed voices, their eyes scanning over their students with an occasional smile.

Kankuro walked over to Kiba to give him a quick fist bump, Gaara hanging behind him a few feet, arms crossed. Kankuro asked "How's everyone been enjoying my lovely city so far?" to which he got many smiles and a few murmurs of how lovely indeed it was.

Tenten decided to pipe up, saying "I'm really impressed with our accommodations. The grotto under the lobby is beautiful, I've never been to an underground spa before."

"Well, we're glad that we can make a good first impression on you guys. Hopefully the trend keeps up"

His sister took a quick glance around the group, eventually spotting her prey. With a smirk, she circled around the table to Shikamaru, who had noticed he was her intended target, and had crossed him arms tightly with his chin tucked against his chest, attempting to have his body language speak louder than his words ever did, quite plainly stating he was not happy with her.

When she made it to him, she loudly clapped both her hands on his shoulders, leaning down next to him, causing him to turn his head away in defiance. "Aww, you didn't even get all that dressed up for me? At least your tears haven't washed away your makeup too much, though I feel you'd probably look alright with your mascara running". Her reward for her wit was a gruff huff from Nara that trailed off in to a defeated sigh.

Kankuro jumped back in, distracting Temari from her victim. "It seems like the night is about to begin, so I think we're probably gonna sit down and see what the big rigs up top have planned for us all." The trio walked over to Baki and gathered him up to return to their seats.

A tall, slim redheaded woman in a nice silver gown walked in to the middle of the square, loudly stating "Ladies and gentlemen, thank you all for attending our festivities tonight. We'd like to offer a warm welcome to all of the shinobi visiting us to participate in the trials, and hope they enjoy their stay in our wonderful village. Many of the fine folk you see around you are here to help guide you. Please feel free to ask any of our volunteers for assistance whenever you might need it."

The Konoha kids took a glance around, taking inventory of all the waving individuals around the square. There were likely about two dozen or so people wearing nice red shawls around their necks with the logos from each of the five Kages in a pentagon on their backs denoting them as guides. The hostess of the ceremony added that the guides would be wearing their shawls for the entire duration of the trails so as to make it easy for visiting competitors to find them should need arise.

"Let's continue by welcoming our friends from Kirigakure!" Upon which a moderate size of shinobi waved, with one standing and bowing, a huge grin on her face before a peer grabbed her sleeve and dragged her back down to her chair. The emcee continued to introduce the visiting groups one by one, eventually passing over Konoha, upon which Kankuro facetiously whistled loudly and applauded before getting a swift smack upside the head from his sister.

The hostess stated "And a special welcome to the Village Hidden in the Cliffs, for participating in their first ever Chunin exams!" The Konoha children still clearly remembered what had occurred when the Sound Four arrived, wary of new villages suddenly appearing. With their suspicions aroused, the ten students and their masters gave a thorough looking-over of the mysterious newcomers, noting oddly enough Kankuro had resumed his facetious clapping and cheering for this previously unheard village.

A trio of students had their hands raised, with the Leaf shinobi noticing the fact that they clearly did not have a Jonin leading them. The three from the cliffs happened to be at a table relatively close to the Konoha bunch, allowing a close investigation.

The shinobi farthest from them was dressed in a nice orange and white jacket, as well as matching orange goggles, eyes, and hair. He had a broad smile on his face, waving excitedly to everybody. Sakura couldn't help but be reminded a little of Naruto, with both the orange accessories echoing the staple fashion color of her blonde friend as well as the beaming smile and enthusiastic attitude. Everything about his body language screamed energy, with fervent swiveling of his head to take in all the sights he could, clearly enjoying being in the spotlight. His smile was housed on a tanned, slim, rather handsome face, most of which was unobstructed, seeing as his goggles were pulled back on top of his forehead protector. His hair had a wind-tousled look, seemingly pulled back by the elements, all 6 or so inches of his bright orange locks flopping backwards, voluminous yet manageable. He was relatively average in terms of body size, perhaps slightly more built than the average student, although it was hard to tell under his jacket. Either way, he was dwarfed by his friend.

Next to him was a massive man, clearly older than the others, as well as pretty much all other genin in the vicinity. The ninja from Konoha had seen many shapes and sizes in their days serving their village, but this one was possibly the largest single person ever seen by many in the group. Sakura guessed that when standing he would tower perhaps two full heads above either of his teammates. The sheer size of his body was not the only noticeable part, however. His hulking, tanned frame was exceptionally built, clearly a man who strove for power and strength. Once shifting focus from his borderline uncomfortably muscled figure up to his head, they were met with a calm, stern face with a strong jaw hidden behind a short but very dense black beard that continued up to his equally short hair. A much calmer demeanor surrounded his green eyes than his bubbly, goggled friend, and he simply raised his hand, inclining not to flail about like his compatriot. He had a simple white shirt on with very short sleeves, allowing his thick arms to be seen by all, with his left arm housing a strange surprise. Instead of wearing his protector on his forehead, it seems his band had been surgically planted in to his left arm, facing outward, nestled in the dip between his deltoid and triceps.

Following the direction of the protective band, the Konoha eyes came upon the final member of the unfamiliar trio. He had a build very similar to the first, bubbly character. He was noticeably less muscular, though few would call him scrawny. This was visible even despite the fact he was wearing somewhat elegant blue robes, much in the same fashion as the Hyugas' white ones. His body language echoed that of his lumbering teammate, somewhat stoic and reserved. However, this average sized boy seemed to have a more calculating air about him, scanning the crowd quickly and efficiently while also simply raising his hand. His short brown hair and somewhat pale skin did little to distract the Leaf ninja from what was easily his most noticeable feature. He was heterochromatic, with his right eye being a golden brown color, much like that of wheat in the evening sun, but his left eye being a deep crimson, somewhat similar to Kurenai. His small smile sat atop his sharp chin, the last thing Sakura saw before he turned to face the center of their table, their spotlight running out of time as the hostess continued on with the ceremonies.

The redhead thanked them all again for attending the festivities and announced that she'd be leaving the stage, allowing any who felt the need to dance to take the floor. She also mentioned the small collection of carts and booths around the outskirts of the square that would be serving free samples of regional cuisine, as well as small gift baskets featuring a few artisanal shops.

As if on cue, a gentleman approached the table with a tray covered in ornamental baskets, beginning with the Jonin mentors at the end of the table. As Sakura quietly waited for the gifts to make the journey towards her, she watched her friends' reaction upon unraveling their baskets. Seeing her friends smile and lean towards each other with excited whispers, she allowed her hopes to be raised.

The gentleman leaned down next to her with the tray, and she scanned over the selection. The baskets all seemed to be identical at the superficial level, with the only noticeable difference being the ornamental tissue paper covering. Faced with blue, yellow, and pink, she unsurprisingly chose her favorite color.

A small fruit cup sat in the center of the basket, clearly recently made, moisture still dripping lazily off the bits in the small wooden bowl. Around the fruit bowl was a circle of delicate flowers with a simple bracelet resting on top of them, a thin silver band with a fastener clasp. She would be extremely surprised if it were actual silver, but much like her headband she purchased from earlier, it was tastefully made and looked rather fetching. She also couldn't blame the jewelers for using less expensive materials as components given the fact the city had commissioned what must have been slightly over 100 copies, taking mentors in to account.

There were also a fair amount of other crafts and trinkets, which she ignored for now, pulling out a small envelope with several vouchers for samples at a handful of stalls circling the square, all of which were foodstuffs that needed to be prepared fresh and couldn't sit in a lukewarm basket for too long. Not feeling particularly peckish, she decided to place her vouchers back in the envelope and leaned across the table to hand it to Choji, who excitedly thanked her profusely.

Once her large friend stood up and dragged Shikamaru to go with him to sample more eateries, Sakura took a moment to look around the square again. She had to appreciate the pleasant, relaxing vibe that Suna had instilled in the area. The music filled the air, a lively, upbeat samba, loud enough to enjoy and dance to, but not so loud to drown out the pleasant conversations she could see happening all around her. The soft glow of the strings of lights lit up people's smiles, and she took time looking around at all the unfamiliar faces to remember that shinobi from other villages were just people, too.

Her reflections on those around her were cut short when an orange and white body stepped in her field of view. Following his jacket upward, she saw the face of the grinning boy from the cliffs. His broad smile was still present, with a joyful glint in his eyes. The table grew silent as both sets of his orange lenses swept across, making eye contact with most people for at least a brief second.

"Hey folks! Just thought I'd come over and say hello, glad to meet you! Any chance any of you lovely ladies would like to dance?"

A few polite declinations rang around the table, before Ino surprisingly agreed. He politely extended a hand, which she graciously accepted, and the stepped over to the small crowd of dancers to join in. The remaining Leaf eyes all followed them until they were swallowed in to the churning mass, hidden behind a few other pairs of dancers. Kiba turned to the table, saying "So he doesn't even say his name and just takes off with Ino? The guy's got guts, I'll tell ya that much."

Tenten agreed, stating "At least he seemed super nice. Either that or he's as good at acting as he is at asking strangers to dance with him."

Lee spouted "He is showing his youthful spirit! We should all strive to be as adventurous as him!" Much of the group brushed off the comment.

Neji snorted, arms crossed, criticizing Ino on her decision. "We know nothing of him, and he's from an entirely new village. Has she forgotten what happened back home with the strangers from the sound? She should be a bit more cautious than this."

Kiba jumped back in, defending their platinum-haired friend, saying "Oh, lighten up Neji. You think he's really gonna do anything in the middle of a town square to some marimba music? Besides, she can fend for herself, and even if the orange kid is a problem there's like 30 Jonin or something here."

Neji chose not to point out the fact that marimba was an instrument and not a genre, instead remaining silent at the fair point the canine compatriot had made. Kiba continued, saying "Besides, flirting's pretty fun! You should try it sometime" with a cheeky grin, earning a huff from the Hyuga and a few chuckles from the rest of the table. "Hell, I might as well try it out tonight. Live a little, ya know?" And with that, he brought Akamaru along as the ultimate pick-up line. The group watched him fade in to the crowd before noticing that many teens from other villages had also begun intermingling, cliques being far less dominant compared to even just a few minutes ago.

After another song, Ino came back to the table, several pairs of quizzical eyes on her. "What?"

Sakura decided to ante in to the conversation, asking "So? What's he like? What's his name? What did you talk about?"

"We didn't actually ask each other for names. And we didn't have time to talk."

Choji, who had just returned, with his shadow casting friend asked what the conversation was about.

Tenten filled them in, then turned to Ino to ask her "What do you mean you didn't have time to talk? You were out there with him for like ten minutes, and you're… well, you're _you_. In ten minutes, you could probably talk for fifteen."

Ino took the clever jab as a compliment and smiled, saying "Well, we didn't actually dance together all that long. Once other people joined in, he brought us over to a pair from the Mist and asked the guy if he wanted to trade partners. I dunno why, but I kept watching him, and he did that at least once a song, and eventually other people started sort of copying him. I probably rotated in to three different dances after that. It was very strange."

Lee sat with a perplexed face. "So he did not even dance with you for very long? Why would he change partners so frequently?"

"I'm not really sure, but he got the whole crowd mingling. Take a look."

Sure enough, when the leaf teens glanced over, about half the pairs dancing had partners from different villages. The orange haired stranger was nowhere out on the floor.

Shino surprisingly chose to speak, saying "Most peculiar. What reason would he have to instill fraternization between villages?"

At that moment, the stranger in question happened to stroll past them, with a carefree smile and a shrug saying "Why not?" as he continued, not breaking stride. The Leaf ninja watched him as he made it over to the table with the sand siblings. Kankuro was already waiting with him, happy to respond to the handshake the ninja from the cliffs offered him, a smile on the puppeteer's face as well. The stranger even gave a deep bow to Baki before shaking his hand as well, before continuing to the fan wielder. He greeted Gaara too, opting to nod his head to the orange haired fellow instead of shaking his hand.

At that time, Kiba and his loyal canine companion emerged from the crowd near the sand siblings and decided to head over to their table. The Konoha table watched from a distance as he seemingly introduced himself to the stranger, making a back-and-forth gesture between the orange haired boy and the Sand table, most likely asking how they knew each other.

The Leaf table couldn't read the lips of Kankuro or the Cliff ninja, since they were facing away from them. They had to try to rely on the facial reactions of Temari and Kiba, seeing as Gaara gave nothing away with his stoic expression. Temari sat idly by, watching her middle brother gesticulate, but otherwise gave little to work with. Kiba's eyes flickered back and forth between the orange boy and Kankuro, nodding along, eventually culminating with him mouthing something along the lines of "oh, cool", though that didn't give much away. His eyes then locked on to the newcomer, eyebrows piqued in interest. After listening to whatever it was the stranger said, he turned to the puppet master with an expression that said "why not" and Kankuro nodded after a brief glance around his table. Kiba donned a broad grin, nodded, then headed towards his hometown friends with a pat on the puppeteer's shoulder.

Hinata looked up to her teammate, asking "W-why the smile, Kiba?"

"We're hitting up a bar tonight, everybody!"

Neji jutted in, saying "That seems rather irresponsible, considering what tomorrow is".

"Well, we don't have to do anything until like four or something in the afternoon tomorrow anyway. Plus, if you don't wanna get drunk, just… don't get drunk. Nobody is making you. And Shikamaru, I saw that sigh. Don't think I'm gonna let you not come. How many opportunities do you have to hit up a night on the town away from home?"

The shadow user rolled his eyes, figuring it would be easier to give in to the dog boy's demands instead of resisting. His best friend next to him piped up, however, saying "But Kiba, we're not really all that old. I don't know if it's a good idea, couldn't we get in trouble?"

Kiba put on a smirk and a jaunty shrug, replying "Kankuro says Suna drinking laws are only 16, but most of the time they look the other way for shinobi. I mean, Lee's gotten drunk before," earning an embarrassed smile from Guy's protégé, "plus, we can just say we're there for the food."

Choji perked up again at the second half of Kiba's response, asking for more information. Upon learning it was a mix between a bar and a barbecue restaurant, he was entirely sold, physically shaking Shikamaru, asking his friend if he was as excited for the night as he was. A disgruntled sigh was all the answer he should have needed, but he didn't notice, or at least pretended not to.

Kiba continued, saying Kankuro had left to reserve a room for themselves, since they didn't want to try their luck walking in with a group of almost twenty, implying their mentors were invited to tag along as well. He was immediately proven wrong as Kankuro walked up to their table, giving a brief wave. "I'm guessing dog-breath here filled you guys in already?" Nods and smiles answered him back, along with an all-too enthusiastic response from Lee that trailed on with words than was needed.

Sakura interjected, asking "Just how expensive is this place? I wasn't planning on doing a whole lot in terms of going out on the town, so I sort of splurged after you brought us here earlier this afternoon."

"You guys ain't paying, don't worry about it." The Leaf teens shared pleased glances with each other, with clearly nobody objecting. "The same goes for you three, if you would like to join us" he said, directed at their instructors with a small bow.

Asuma gave a light chuckle and a grin in response, saying "I don't know if you young folk want us old fogies getting in the way of your night out with friends."

"If you'd like, I can make a separate reservation for you three at your own table, with or without Baki. He wouldn't be offended if you would rather have the night to just you three."

The three mentors gave quick glances at each other before Kurenai spoke up, saying "I suppose a separate table would be alright, if you're sure it's ok. Baki is more than welcome to join us"

Guy agreed with his trademark thumbs-up, saying something about the four of them exchanging tales of their youth. Kankuro nodded with a smile, then turned to face the whole group, saying "We'll say one hour from now, if that's cool with everyone?" Upon seeing no objections, he continued, saying "I'll head out to make sure we have a spot secured. If I'm not back in time to show you guys where to go, the rest of my group knows where we're heading, and so do the three from the Cliff. See ya guys soon!" Then turned to disappear in to the city.

Tenten had a quizzical look on her face, asking "Why would those three know where to go?" her implied subject being the boys from the Cliffs.

Oddly enough, the response came from Shino, saying "Perhaps that would be a question to ask tonight to make conversation"

Shikamaru drawled out "Or we could just drink enough that the conversation doesn't matter" earning him a smack on the arm and a scolding look from Ino.

The next fifty minutes pleasantly droned on, with the crowd slowly dwindling away. The night slipped further along, the world growing quiet and peaceful. Ninja from other villages all left in roughly the same direction, headed towards the same lodging that they had been brought to earlier. In the time that had passed, Temari had come over to chat. Looking around at the sparse crowd and noticing her brother had not returned yet, she asked the group if they thought it was high time to head out, all of whom scooted their chairs back in response. She turned around and nodded to her brother, who had elected to watch from a distance, and he rose as well to walk with the group.

Sakura hid her concern and asked if Temari's youngest sibling was going to be joining them, earning an unsure yes from the blond standing before them. Lee gave his version of Guy's thumbs-up, saying "Excellent! I am most excited to spend more time with your brother!" Sakura noted he must have clearly forgiven Shukaku's host, considering the vital assistance the solemn sand shinobi gave during Lee's bout against Kimimaro. She still felt a hesitation whenever she looked at him and couldn't understand how Lee was so quick to forgive. Was he too trusting? Or perhaps she was too bitter and unable to let go of the past. Her train of thought had taken longer than she thought, as she had apparently spent the entire walk ruminating on her personality, however long or short it may have been.

The group stepped inside, with Temari taking the lead, approaching a smiling lady gathering menus in to her arm, seeing the large group walk in. "Hi there. I think we have a reservation here, we're a few minutes early. It should be under the name Kankuro"

The hostess glanced at the itinerary, scanning quickly before a brisk nod. "Yep! I've got you right here! It looks like this was split to one of our small rooms in the back as well as a second booth? Does that sound right?"

"Yeah, I think so. Our instructors are going to be taking the small booth." Prompting Asuma to give a small wave.

"Alright, that'll actually be along the way as we head to the back. Is the group for the room still set at sixteen total?" She asked, scanning the group to do a quick head count, pausing briefly on Gaara's face, doing a respectable job of hiding her fear.

"I haven't heard anything otherwise, assuming my brother and the three from the Cliff get here at some point."

"Oh, they've actually been here for the past half hour or so. We had plenty of availability tonight, so we had no issue getting everything set up early for them. If you folks are good to go, follow me!" The troupe wound their way through the establishment, eventually depositing their teachers at a nice, quiet booth in the back with rich, mauve leather seating. Asuma told the kids to go have fun, but to be mindful of themselves and gave a little shooing motion with his hands.

The teens went through an archway to the room in the back, encountering a spacious area with a large oval table in the center. At the far end, the three strangers and Kankuro sat clumped together, Kankuro and the orange haired boy laughing and small smiles on the other two's faces. The hulking bearded man and Kankuro bookended the other two, and the puppet master turned to face the new arrivals, saying "Well, nice of you lot to finally show up!"

Temari circled around the table and gave him a quick rap on the head, saying "Well, you didn't tell us you were planning on boozing up half an hour early. Thanks for starting without us." To which Kankuro grumbled something about catching up. She walked one seat past him, leaving space for Gaara to sit in the middle of the family. The rest of the Leaf folk piled in, and Choji took in a few deep sniffs, turning his gaze to the large man from the cliffs, ambling over.

As he walked past the table, he noticed a ring on the inside; a grate with coal underneath. His eyes widened in anticipation upon the realization that this was a cook-it-yourself style restaurant and Kankuro had told him he would be there for _free_. But his sweet, innocent conscience wouldn't let him get to work without double checking. He didn't want to sound greedy, so he phrased his question delicately. "So, Kankuro. You said you're gonna cover our drinks?"

"I'm not covering anything. Ask him" he said, tilting his head towards the orange haired stranger next to him.

The goggled youth put down his glass after a sip, nodding, saying "Go for it man, anything you want. Drinks, food, have at it."

Choji gave a quick bow with a smile and thanking the heavens for the bountiful harvest he was about to consume. He continued following his nose and sat next to the large man from the Cliff, eyeing his simmering grill to get a quick glance at the quality of cuts the restaurant had to offer. The bearded behemoth took notice, picking up one of the sizzling strips and plopping it on the rotund boy's plate and placing the platter of cuts between the two of them to share. Choji knew they were in good company.

The rest of the Leaf ninja took their places, sitting for the most part next to their teammates. Shino and Neji however chose to be exceptions to the rule, sitting at the other end of the oval to allow their chattier peers to sit closer to the center for conversation. Once people were all situated, Tenten leaning forward to look down the table at the unknown three, saying "Thanks for inviting us here. I don't mean to sound rude or unappreciative, but… who are you and why are you doing this?"

The boy with mixed eyes chose to speak up, saying "I suppose now is as good a time as any to actually introduce ourselves. Well, for starters, even though you probably noticed at the market square tonight, we're from the Village Hidden in the Cliffs" pointing out their forehead bands, which contained a single line that went straight up, took a corner to the left, jutted out, took another corner to point up, then took a corner to the right, giving the rough, simplistic image of, fittingly, an overhanging cliff. He continued, saying "My name is Ayuma Yamamoto." He turned to his side, glancing at the orange boy next to him, prompting him to take his turn.

"Hey everybody!" He joyfully exclaimed with a broad grin. "I'm Hiroshuna Tachibana, but I usually just go with Hiro for short. It's nice to finally meet you folk! And last but not least, the big fella over there is…"

"Kenta Nishimura" rumbled the largest of the three, accompanying his deep voice with a shallow nod.

Hiro resumed, saying "Like I said, we're all super glad to meet you. We've heard a ton about you Leaf guys from these three bozos. Or at least from the two that talk" jabbing his thumb toward the sand siblings. Most of the leafs gave him surprised looks, not expecting anyone to openly make jokes about Gaara. The redhead in question made no reaction, leading to a collective silent sigh of relief from the visiting ten shinobi.

Shikamaru turned his dull gaze to their new host, asking "How do you know the three from Suna?"

Ayuma chose to answer, giving a brief explanation. "Well, the short version is they allowed us to train. Our home is very small, only about two hundred or so civilians, and we're the first ninja to come out of it. As such, we didn't have Jonin to train under and learn from, so Suna was kind enough to take us under their wing and give us some instruction, Baki and these three in particular."

Hiro interjected, saying "Kenta here may be a lot older, but since he had to wait for the past several years for me and Ayuma to be trained and learn to fight, he never had the opportunity to take the exam yet." The Leaf nin nodded, before Kiba put on a confused face.

"Wait, so if you're new and don't even have a real mentor on your own, I would have to assume that would make it hard for you to take or even find high-paying missions. How are you able to afford hosting us all here?"

Hiro spoke up, saying "Well, our village is northwest of here, between the Lands of Earth and Wind. Basically the whole village is a mining village, since the area we settled happens to be extremely rich in a lot of different ores. My dad owns those mines. Some of the raw resources we extract are sold off immediately, but most of it goes to the steel mills, which my dad also owns. We manufacture a lot of shinobi weapons and some construction beams or whatever. I wanna say we provide, like, something along the lines of sixty percent of the steel used in at least Suna and Iwa."

Neji perked up, saying "Wait, you said your name was Tachibana?" earning a nod. "I believe I've purchased your family's wares before. They're rather high quality. You father must be proud of his work."

"Oh, absolutely. He's a great man. Clever, but honest. All his miners and steelworkers are treated fairly, and I can't remember the last time there's been a casualty on the workforce. His manufacturing of weapons is actually what got me thinking of becoming a ninja in the first place. It's also what's gonna fund our night! Hey, big fella!" Both Choji and Kenta looked over at him. "Oh, sorry. My big fella. You wanna get us all going here?"

Kenta stood from his seat, asking the table in his curt bass "Who drinks?" and took note of the raised hands before heading out the archway, having to duck to avoid hitting his head. He returned shortly with his large hands clutching a few bottles, with a server in tow carrying a platter of a few more along with several shot glasses. He thanked her, then distributed the glasses around to those who raised their hands.

Ino looked at the four bottles sitting on the center of the table. "That… seems like a lot."

Kenta nodded, saying "Correct" as he popped open a bottle. He passed it along immediately to the left to let people pour their own, reaching across Ayuma to pass it to Hiro.

Hiro took the bottle and read the liquid he was holding before wrinkling his nose. "Alright big man, I trust you with your taste in alcohol, but I'm not gonna lie, Spring Cactus sake sounds like it would taste like absolute ass." Not heeding his own opinion, he filled his glass and passed it on.

Kankuro leaned forward excitedly. "Oh, dude, that's what you picked out? Excellent! Strong but tasty. This is gonna be a good night." Kenta nodded. "Trust me you guys; this stuff is great. It's usually a bit spendy, but if you don't have to pay for it, then, hey, sounds like a great time to me." He filled his glass and passed the bottle along, waiting to partake until the rest of his friends that wanted to join were ready.

The bottle made its rotation around the circle, stopping at Temari, Shikamaru, and Ino before skipping Shino, Neji and Hinata. Kiba brought it back to use, where Lee and Tenten followed suit. Sakura had been idling with her glass for a while, its small porcelain innocence staring back at her. She decided to expand her boundaries a bit, but now that she had filled the small shot she was unsure. Regardless, she passed the bottle to Choji, who passed and returned it to Kenta.

Now that it had made the full cycle, Kenta eyed the bottle, noting it was slightly less than half full. Content, he capped it, reaching his long arm to the middle of the table, placing it within reach of most participants. He then took a second, new bottle and popped it open. Kankuro raised his small glass, saying "To safe trials, for both old friends and new." The table all cheered, and brought their glasses up for a unified first gulp, along with a few coughs from the less experienced, Sakura included.

When she had finished with her fit and wiped her eyes of the watery film that had accrued, she looked up to see most people staring. She followed their gaze, to find Kenta still holding the second bottle, still pulling from it. Hiro noticed their reactions, stating "Don't worry, the guy's a trained professional. He's had years of practice. Plus, look at him, he's like 350 pounds or some shit."

Kenta removed the bottle from his lips, and with a final swallow said "370"

Hiro ignored his correction, turning his eyes toward Choji, saying "You have some heft to you. I bet if you wanted you could probably pack it down." Shikamaru's head shot up, turning towards the end of the table.

Choji froze in the middle of his bite, slowly looking up. "Are you calling me fat?"

"What? No, I'm just saying you can eat a lot, and so can this big slab of muscle, so maybe you can hold your liquor like he does." Shikamaru gave an audible sigh of relief, knowing the orange Cliff ninja had inadvertently avoided calamity that he didn't even know he had almost caused, leaving Choji to stumble through a few sentences explaining how he had never had anything to drink before.

The bearded man slid his unused shot glass towards Choji and plunked the bottle down on the table. Choji eyed it for a few seconds, knowing the table was watching him but not knowing why they had decided to focus on him instead of one of the other five that hadn't had anything. "I'm not really sure I'm comfortable with something so… potent. Thanks for the offer, but I think I'd like to pass."

Kenta grabbed the bottle from him, showing no judgement before taking another hearty swig. He then looked at his neighbor, asking "Beer?" To which Choji hesitated, before ultimately giving a reluctant shake of his head. The large man stood once more, asking the same question to the rest of the table, noting the hands of Kankuro, Temari and Kiba. A gurgle next to him prompted him to ask "Ribs?" to which Choji immediately became reinvigorated, nodding enthusiastically. With that, the lumbering man left the room once more.

Kiba turned to the two remaining cliff shinobi, asking "So does that guy's appetite rack up a big bill?"

Hiro laughed, saying "Oh hell yea. The dude's like six foot ten and is the most built dude I've ever seen. Plus, with all that muscle and blood, he can drink like a fish. But money isn't all too important to me. I've never been super materialistic, so I'd rather spend it on those around me. I prefer to buy experiences instead of things, ya know?"

Ayuma cut in, sarcastically saying "You sound so noble and generous. Such a gentleman, a true man of the people."

"Eh, yea, well you sound like you can go fuck yourself" he replied chuckling, Ayuma with a small smile. "But in all honesty, the big fella and this sack of shit here have both saved my ass so many times that I owe them everything I've got, so I really don't hesitate to give back any way I can. Evidently, most of the ways I give back come in the form of something edible."

As if on cue, Kenta returned, their first server in tow once more. Her tray had four tall glasses of a light amber brew, as well as a large platter with two whole racks of freshly slathered ribs. Once the concessions were distributed, Ayuma spoke, saying "Well, let's see if we can figure out who everybody here is. We've introduced ourselves, so it would only be fair for us to learn your names." He glanced over to his right. "I'm assuming you're Choji" with a small nod in return, not quite enough to break the large boy's concentration on his meats. He continued on, saying "I'd have to guess by the pink hair you must be Sakura." He continued around the circle, remembering everyone's names, obviously having paid clear attention in his conversations with the sand siblings.

Sakura smiled as conversation began to bloom around her. As the evening wore on, the teens all continued to work on their beverages, but it was clear that company came first. It was refreshing to see her peers gathered together, enjoying themselves. The ability to trust a new group and take part in a fun evening with new friends had eluded the Konoha kids for so long, but now it seemed like the world was starting to sort itself back out. For the night, they got to forget the pressures and stresses of being warriors, or spies, or whatever else might fall in their lines of duty. They were able to let go and truly enjoy themselves in the company of those they cared most for and a few new friendly faces. And really, what more could she ask for?


End file.
